The present invention relates to data center infrastructure and networking, and more particularly, this invention relates to supporting converged traffic on software defined networks (SDNs).
SDNs utilize a SDN controller that is configured to manage and configure various SDN-capable switches, virtual switches, and other networking devices, such that each SDN-capable switch is able to receive instructions, programming, etc., from the SDN controller, and execute switching, routing, etc., as specified by the SDN controller. In this way, the entire SDN may be controlled from a single point of contact, the SDN controller, and any changes that must take place in the SDN may be initiated by the SDN to ensure that the SDN operates efficiently and as desired by the administrator.
A converged Ethernet network may include both Ethernet and storage-based communications. Some exemplary storage-based communications that may be used in storage area networks (SANs) include Fiber Channel (FC), Internet Small Computer System Interface (iSCSI), remote direct access memory (RDMA), etc.
Once these storage-based communications are switched to a converged Ethernet network, the storage-based communications are no longer understood by the various networking devices therein. Accordingly, these storage-based communications are altered to be understood by the various networking devices of the converged Ethernet network. Some communications that may be used on converged Ethernet networks include Fiber Channel over Ethernet (FCoE), RDMA over Converged Enhanced Ethernet (RoCEE), etc.
This converged traffic may be utilized on a FCoE-based fabric. A FCoE-based fabric is not able to be controlled by an external SDN controller. The lossless nature of storage-based communications are achieved in Ethernet communications by multiple intelligent control protocols that are not compatible with storage-based communications, such as Data Center Bridging Exchange (DCBX), Priority Flow Control (PFC), Enhanced Transmission Selection (ETS), etc. In current technologies, there is no suitable way that the lossless nature of Ethernet may be achieved by using a SDN controller.
Another issue with current designs of converged Ethernet networks is that even if lossless functionality may be achieved, the logical mapping between storage-based communications and the Ethernet-based network is challenging, as this will also be based upon various intelligent protocols, such as FCoE, FCoE Initialization Protocol (FIP), etc.